pre-release testers wanted - range-extending technology for Leaf

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RegGuheert said:
PedalLogic said:
RegGuheert said:
Thanks! Order placed.
...when I tried to view the video linked on page four of this thread regarding configuration and calibration, I got a message saying that video does not exist. Have those instructions changed? Are they provided with the product?
Hi RegGuheert,
The calibration process is very straightforward:

1. After physically installing SmartPedal, turn on the vehicle ACC—usually two presses of the power button WITHOUT touching the brake.
2. Briefly depress the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and then fully release. It's done.

Changing driving modes is very simple too, but better explained by video. I had planned to upload a new video today (we made some slight changes in the software) but it looks like it will be tomorrow morning instead.

Marc
 
Thanks for the discount code, @pedallogic. Finally pushed me into ordering one for my 2015 Leaf last night and already got my shipping confirmation. Look forward to trying it out!

Also, I’m assuming we should probably remove this before taking the car in for dealer yearly service? Or would it be ok to leave it installed.
 
veezer said:
Thanks for the discount code, @pedallogic. Finally pushed me into ordering one for my 2015 Leaf last night and already got my shipping confirmation. Look forward to trying it out!
Excellent news, and thank you.

veezer said:
Also, I’m assuming we should probably remove this before taking the car in for dealer yearly service? Or would it be ok to leave it installed.
You can leave it installed. It's not detectable by the car or service tools and, frankly, the device looks like it's part of the pedal. SmartPedal is also "warranty safe" in that it doesn't cause the vehicle to operate outside it's normal parameters.

In case anyone out there is wondering warranties and aftermarket parts work, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (passed by Congress in 1975) enables consumers to modify their vehicles without impacting the warranty unless the modification itself causes the warranty claim (like adding a turbo charger and then blowing a head gasket).

Although drafted in response to abuses by auto manufacturers at the time, the law applies to all consumer products. It's why you can add memory or a larger hard drive to a new computer with voiding the warranty, for example.

Marc
 
PedalLogic said:
Changing driving modes is very simple too, but better explained by video. I had planned to upload a new video today (we made some slight changes in the software) but it looks like it will be tomorrow morning instead.

Marc

I mostly agree with this. I didn't understand the written instructions, but Marc pointed me to a great YouTube video. Seeing it done made perfect sense, and it is straightforward.

The only thing I would add as a "wishlist" item is a way to change the mode without crawling into the foot well. I would love to keep this in Mode 3* 90% of the time, but switch to Mode 1* when I want a more spirited drive, but am less concerned about efficiency.

*Mode 1 and Mode 3 refer to the modes on the prototype model I have used. I'm sure they are a little different in the "5+1" model. The point is, I would like to switch between the modes more easily, depending on my mood.
 
GetOffYourGas said:
The only thing I would add as a "wishlist" item is a way to change the mode without crawling into the foot well. I would love to keep this in Mode 3* 90% of the time, but switch to Mode 1* when I want a more spirited drive, but am less concerned about efficiency.
Hi GetOffYourGas,
We actually developed a Bluetooth version about two years ago, but discovered that there was just not enough power at the pedal to drive the wireless and the 32-bit CPU. Undoubtedly in years hence the power requirements for BT will drop to the point it's feasible.

In the meantime, once you've changed modes a couple times while actually looking at the pedal, you usually have enough experience to do it without looking again—it's what I often do. Just measure the 60 seconds of pedal-to-metal while sitting with a smartphone and then tap away.

Marc
 
GetOffYourGas said:
PedalLogic said:
Changing driving modes is very simple too, but better explained by video. I had planned to upload a new video today (we made some slight changes in the software) but it looks like it will be tomorrow morning instead.
I mostly agree with this. I didn't understand the written instructions, but Marc pointed me to a great YouTube video. Seeing it done made perfect sense, and it is straightforward.
I received the unit on Wednesday. Thanks for the discount and the fast shipping!

Here is some new-customer feedback:

1) The unit is compact and appears to be well-made, at least the little bit of it that can be seen from the outside.

2) I did the installation Wednesday evening without removing the pedal, but, as noted in the video, it was a bit of a challenge. The first issue was managing to pull up on the connector while simultaneously squeezing the release. My solution was to get a long screwdriver and gently pry up on the connector with one hand while squeezing with the other. After a couple of failed attempts, that worked. The bigger issue was achieving enough slack in the harness to get the SmartPedal to engage with the electronic pedal. The issue turned out to be that the plastic wire protector for the accelerator pedal wiring was taped to the plastic wire protector for the brake pedal wiring. Until I cut that piece of electrical tape, there was no way to get the clearance I needed to make the SmartPedal fit. I don't know if all of the LEAFs are taped this way, but it might be something worth noting.

3) I'm convinced that the lights do not flash in the manner described in this note. Specifically, it seems that the LED never stopped flashing. Instead, at the end of the process I saw a green LED flash twice and that seemed to repeat forever. Is it possible that the flash sequence has changed since that note was written? As it stands, I really am not sure which mode my unit is in. I thought I saw four orange flashes somewhere in the cycle, but I thought I read (or heard on a video somewhere) that the SmartPedal ships in Mode 2. Is it possible that my SmartPedal shipped in Mode 4?

My wife drives the LEAF, so I have only driven the car enough to verify that it works. Of course she was worried that it would not get her to work and back, but it has done that 1.5 times so far. :cool:

Sorry, but we don't yet know one way or the other whether or not the SmartPedal is saving energy. My wife said she did feel a difference in how the car drives, but she had a lunchtime outing which increased consumption over a normal commute. I'll let her drive it in this mode (whatever it is) for a while to see if we can detect any difference in energy usage.

Ultimately I'd like to see her move to Mode 6.
PedalLogic said:
In the meantime, once you've changed modes a couple times while actually looking at the pedal, you usually have enough experience to do it without looking again—it's what I often do. Just measure the 60 seconds of pedal-to-metal while sitting with a smartphone and then tap away.
I'm glad you wrote that, because I had no idea from the written instructions about how to change the mode that you needed to hold the pedal to the floor for 60 seconds to get into the programming mode. Instead, I thought you just had to press the pedal to the floor (and release it) and wait for 60 seconds. Here is what is written there:
SmartPedal Knowledge Base said:
3. With the gearshift still in park, press accelerator pedal to floor. The built-in LED will start to flash orange/green alternately once a second for the first 60 seconds.

4. From 60 to 120 seconds, the LED will switch to flashing orange/green twice a second. During this time, press pedal to floor and fully release a number of times equal to the mode you want. Do so briskly however: you have a 10-second window to make this change after the first push.
Note that in Step 4 the user is instructed to "press pedal to floor", but nowhere in Step 3 or the first part of Step 4 is the user instructed to release the pedal. That is why I thought what was implied in Step 3 was "press accelerator pedal to floor" and then immediately release. Perhaps it would be better to word the instructions like this instead:
RegGuheert's suggestion said:
3. With the gearshift still in park, press the accelerator pedal to the floor and hold it there. The built-in LED will start to flash orange/green alternately once a second for the first 60 seconds.

4. From 60 to 120 seconds, the LED will switch to flashing orange/green twice a second. During this time, first fully release the accelerator pedal and then press the pedal to the floor and fully release the number of times equal to the mode you want. Do so briskly however: you have a 10-second window to make this change after you first release the pedal.
Of course, not having ever done this myself nor ever having seen any video, perhaps that is not what is intended. Can you please clarify?
 
RegGuheert said:
PedalLogic said:
In the meantime, once you've changed modes a couple times while actually looking at the pedal, you usually have enough experience to do it without looking again—it's what I often do. Just measure the 60 seconds of pedal-to-metal while sitting with a smartphone and then tap away.
I'm glad you wrote that, because I had no idea from the written instructions about how to change the mode that you needed to hold the pedal to the floor for 60 seconds to get into the programming mode. Instead, I thought you just had to press the pedal to the floor (and release it) and wait for 60 seconds. Here is what is written there:
SmartPedal Knowledge Base said:
3. With the gearshift still in park, press accelerator pedal to floor. The built-in LED will start to flash orange/green alternately once a second for the first 60 seconds.

4. From 60 to 120 seconds, the LED will switch to flashing orange/green twice a second. During this time, press pedal to floor and fully release a number of times equal to the mode you want. Do so briskly however: you have a 10-second window to make this change after the first push.
Note that in Step 4 the user is instructed to "press pedal to floor", but nowhere in Step 3 or the first part of Step 4 is the user instructed to release the pedal. That is why I thought what was implied in Step 3 was "press accelerator pedal to floor" and then immediately release. Perhaps it would be better to word the instructions like this instead:
RegGuheert's suggestion said:
3. With the gearshift still in park, press the accelerator pedal to the floor and hold it there. The built-in LED will start to flash orange/green alternately once a second for the first 60 seconds.

4. From 60 to 120 seconds, the LED will switch to flashing orange/green twice a second. During this time, first fully release the accelerator pedal and then press the pedal to the floor and fully release the number of times equal to the mode you want. Do so briskly however: you have a 10-second window to make this change after you first release the pedal.
Of course, not having ever done this myself nor ever having seen any video, perhaps that is not what is intended. Can you please clarify?

I had similar confusion until I watched the YouTube video. I like your revised wording. That is the process that worked for me, and had I read what you wrote I may not have needed to watch the video.
 
GetOffYourGas said:
I had similar confusion until I watched the YouTube video. I like your revised wording. That is the process that worked for me, and had I read what you wrote I may not have needed to watch the video.
If I could find a YouTube video on this topic that works, I would watch it, but as I noted last week, the one linked on page four of this thread comes up as "unavailable" for me
 
Hi Everyone,

Newest videos for calibration and changing modes. We changed the software about two weeks ago and were playing catch up on this item.

How to Perform the Optional One-time Calibration

https://youtu.be/QRc3JvCvrqI

How to Change Driving Modes

https://youtu.be/wMDo_G8TGrE

Note: I misspoke at the 1:22 mark in the changing-modes video. The LED flashes ORANGE, not green, a number of times to show the current driving mode.

I value and listen to customer feedback, so please post here or PM if you have suggestions for how to improve the videos.


Best,
Marc
 
RegGuheert said:
Here is some new-customer feedback:

1) The unit is compact and appears to be well-made, at least the little bit of it that can be seen from the outside.
Thank you. Your feedback makes me think that at some point I should create a montage showing off the (also) high-quality components inside SmartPedal.

RegGuheert said:
2) I did the installation Wednesday evening without removing the pedal, but, as noted in the video, it was a bit of a challenge. The first issue was managing to pull up on the connector while simultaneously squeezing the release. My solution was to get a long screwdriver and gently pry up on the connector with one hand while squeezing with the other. After a couple of failed attempts, that worked. The bigger issue was achieving enough slack in the harness to get the SmartPedal to engage with the electronic pedal. The issue turned out to be that the plastic wire protector for the accelerator pedal wiring was taped to the plastic wire protector for the brake pedal wiring. Until I cut that piece of electrical tape, there was no way to get the clearance I needed to make the SmartPedal fit. I don't know if all of the LEAFs are taped this way, but it might be something worth noting.
Noted. So far that is LEAF specific, and I should have mentioned that point. I'll capture it on the support site. I'm impressed you figured a way to wiggle that connector off in place though.

RegGuheert said:
3) I'm convinced that the lights do not flash in the manner described in this note. Specifically, it seems that the LED never stopped flashing.
You are right. We just changed this sequence in the last couple weeks. Originally, after the boot sequence completed, we turned the LED completely off in order to save power. A large number of our testers interpreted this "off" as a broken unit, so we added the green heartbeat. Incidentally, the LED heartbeat really is timed to the rate of a human heart.

RegGuheert said:
My wife drives the LEAF, so I have only driven the car enough to verify that it works. Of course she was worried that it would not get her to work and back, but it has done that 1.5 times so far. :cool:
We've had zero hardware failures in the last three years, so she's in good hands.

RegGuheert said:
Sorry, but we don't yet know one way or the other whether or not the SmartPedal is saving energy. My wife said she did feel a difference in how the car drives, but she had a lunchtime outing which increased consumption over a normal commute. I'll let her drive it in this mode (whatever it is) for a while to see if we can detect any difference in energy usage.
We recommend comparing 400 miles pre/post installation to have a large enough sample size for confidence.

RegGuheert said:
Ultimately I'd like to see her move to Mode 6.
Mode 6 is an example of over-correction: we set the required level of confidence for a correction to a really low level, which means the device continually overcorrects. Fair warning: especially on city streets, it will feel very slow. It's really for mileage fanatics.

RegGuheert said:
Of course, not having ever done this myself nor ever having seen any video, perhaps that is not what is intended. Can you please clarify?
The two videos posted immediately above should address your remaining questions, but please let me know if additional info would be helpful. Support section gets updated tomorrow to reflect the same, fyi.


Best,
Marc
 
Hello all, I received my unit last week but was away on business so only just successfully installed the unit and drove around a little yesterday. I was fortunate enough to have been looking at this thread when the discount code was posted so another big thanks for that!

First, yes, the installation is non-trivial in the leaf since it is such a small vehicle, although any work in that area of any car is never fun or easy. I struggled for a little bit to see if I could install the device without removing the pedal but that was impossible so I removed the pedal with the aforementioned 10mm socket. Be aware that you will need a very small socket wrench or a box end wrench for the upper bolt as the brake pedal is right next to it. These do not require a great deal of force to remove. I can verify the electrical tape issue as well, I just cut it loose.

One warning I have is that you need to be quite careful when installing to make sure you slide the connectors together to align the pins into the slots. My initial attempt missed one and bent it to the side. Needless to say my leaf wasn't happy about it and I had to remove the device to confirm my suspicion that this was the cause. Fortunately it was easy to "fix" this pin with two small flat-head screw-drivers. For this reason, and the tape, I would recommend that the only way to install this would be to remove the pedal (unless you are unusually small and dexterous).

Driving experience so far has only been in the default mode 2. Definitely changed pedal response. The instantaneousness is gone. I'll change it to mode 1 today and check that out. My wife is a bit of a lead-foot so I can imagine she won't like mode 2 or 3. I'll update as needed.

Question for Marc: I thought the leaf device had modes 1-3 but I see people posting here about modes 4 & 5? Also there seem to have been a couple versions: "Smartpedal Prime and Smartpedal Advanced" and "5+1"? How do I know which one I have and how many modes? thanks
 
PedalLogic said:
Newest videos for calibration and changing modes. We changed the software about two weeks ago and were playing catch up on this item.
Thanks, Marc! Those are very helpful and they now match what I am seeing here.
PedalLogic said:
RegGuheert said:
1) The unit is compact and appears to be well-made, at least the little bit of it that can be seen from the outside.
Thank you. Your feedback makes me think that at some point I should create a montage showing off the (also) high-quality components inside SmartPedal.
That would be cool!
PedalLogic said:
RegGuheert said:
3) I'm convinced that the lights do not flash in the manner described in this note. Specifically, it seems that the LED never stopped flashing.
You are right. We just changed this sequence in the last couple weeks. Originally, after the boot sequence completed, we turned the LED completely off in order to save power. A large number of our testers interpreted this "off" as a broken unit, so we added the green heartbeat.
That agrees with what I see here.
PedalLogic said:
Incidentally, the LED heartbeat really is timed to the rate of a human heart.
I don't know about you, but I came equipped with a variable-rate heart. ;)
PedalLogic said:
RegGuheert said:
Sorry, but we don't yet know one way or the other whether or not the SmartPedal is saving energy. My wife said she did feel a difference in how the car drives, but she had a lunchtime outing which increased consumption over a normal commute. I'll let her drive it in this mode (whatever it is) for a while to see if we can detect any difference in energy usage.
We recommend comparing 400 miles pre/post installation to have a large enough sample size for confidence.
That approach is actually a bit problematic since the temperature here is dropping rapidly as we enter fall. If we compare the efficiency this fall with what was achieved over the summer, then we likely would see it *drop*.
PedalLogic said:
RegGuheert said:
Ultimately I'd like to see her move to Mode 6.
Mode 6 is an example of over-correction: we set the required level of confidence for a correction to a really low level, which means the device continually overcorrects. Fair warning: especially on city streets, it will feel very slow. It's really for mileage fanatics.
Thanks for that! "Mileage fanatic" would not be a good description for my wife even though she has gotten quite adept at getting to work and back with more energy remaining in the battery than she used to. I think we will stick with Mode 4 for a while and will only move to Mode 6 when we are getting more desperate to extract more mileage from the vehicle.
PedalLogic said:
RegGuheert said:
Of course, not having ever done this myself nor ever having seen any video, perhaps that is not what is intended. Can you please clarify?
The two videos posted immediately above should address your remaining questions, but please let me know if additional info would be helpful. Support section gets updated tomorrow to reflect the same, fyi.
I don't see any changes to the written procedure for changing operating modes, yet. The only change I see is the addition of a mention of the heartbeat at the end of the note.

I would like to second mhramr's request for information about the available modes. It would be great to read a description of each of the modes and your recommendations about when and/or why your customers should choose each mode. TIA!

Thanks again for all your efforts and for providing this additional information, Marc!
 
I just installed this today. Took a good 45 minutes, mostly to figure things out and deal with the narrow confines of the wheel space.

Some thoughts:
  • Took me a while to understand the orientation of the plug from the video. I’d suggest zooming in or making a closeup picture.
  • Even though it seems like in the video the wiring harness just slides off, there is a pressure clip on the long side of the plug (the side that’s facing the right side of the well) that needs to be depressed to allow the plug to slide off the pedal. I used the tip from a previous poster to use a screwdriver in my left hand and gently lever the plug up while pushing in the release clip with my right hand
  • The electrical tape tying this wiring to the brake wiring definitely needs to be removed. I made a small nick in it with a utility knife (was afraid of damaging the wiring if I tried to cut it off completely in such a confined space), and then just used fingers to rip off the tape. Then it’s still a little tricky to find the right angle to push the device up and back to try to align it with the pedal connector

But it’s done now! Looking forward to driving more with it. I didn’t notice an overt change in driving behavior besides the initial slight lag from stop (and I NEVER use eco because it drives me crazy), so that’s great. Definitely don’t see the power output bouncing around on the bumpy highway anymore in the leaf energy display.
 
RegGuheert said:
Sorry, but we don't yet know one way or the other whether or not the SmartPedal is saving energy. My wife said she did feel a difference in how the car drives, but she had a lunchtime outing which increased consumption over a normal commute. I'll let her drive it in this mode (whatever it is) for a while to see if we can detect any difference in energy usage.
My wife is already getting fairly comfortable with the new SmartPedal in Mode 4. Yesterday she arrived home from work after her 49-mile commute with three charge bars remaining and 20 miles showing on the GOM. That's the most remaining she has ever seen, and that was with some air conditioner usage. The previous remaining high was 16 miles showing on the GOM. This is with our 2011 LEAF with three capacity bars left and LeafSpy reporting capacity of 46.85 Ah.

Those are very encouraging results, indeed!
 
RegGuheert said:
PedalLogic said:
RegGuheert said:
Ultimately I'd like to see her move to Mode 6.
Mode 6 is an example of over-correction: we set the required level of confidence for a correction to a really low level, which means the device continually overcorrects. Fair warning: especially on city streets, it will feel very slow. It's really for mileage fanatics.
Thanks for that! "Mileage fanatic" would not be a good description for my wife even though she has gotten quite adept at getting to work and back with more energy remaining in the battery than she used to. I think we will stick with Mode 4 for a while and will only move to Mode 6 when we are getting more desperate to extract more mileage from the vehicle.
After 49,000 miles we decided to purchase new Ecopias rather than trying to get through the winter on the old thread. We did this even though we knew it would reduce the range of the vehicle. Given that, I decided to change the Smart Pedal to Mode 6 to give my wife the best chance of making it home on her commute. Actually, I like it! The pedal now feels roughly like pressing on soft butter, but it makes for some *very* smooth driving. I asked my wife if she was O.K. with it and she said she did not notice the difference from Mode 4. I guess that means it's O.K. ;)
 
RegGuheert said:
RegGuheert said:
Sorry, but we don't yet know one way or the other whether or not the SmartPedal is saving energy. My wife said she did feel a difference in how the car drives, but she had a lunchtime outing which increased consumption over a normal commute. I'll let her drive it in this mode (whatever it is) for a while to see if we can detect any difference in energy usage.
My wife is already getting fairly comfortable with the new SmartPedal in Mode 4. Yesterday she arrived home from work after her 49-mile commute with three charge bars remaining and 20 miles showing on the GOM. That's the most remaining she has ever seen, and that was with some air conditioner usage. The previous remaining high was 16 miles showing on the GOM. This is with our 2011 LEAF with three capacity bars left and LeafSpy reporting capacity of 46.85 Ah.

Those are very encouraging results, indeed!
Hi RegGuheert,

Thanks for your report. Feedback like this feels really good to read.

A quick question: is your wife's 49-mile commute mostly high speed on a highway or is it stop-and-go slow-moving traffic?

Marc
 
RegGuheert said:
After 49,000 miles we decided to purchase new Ecopias rather than trying to get through the winter on the old thread. We did this even though we knew it would reduce the range of the vehicle. Given that, I decided to change the Smart Pedal to Mode 6 to give my wife the best chance of making it home on her commute. Actually, I like it! The pedal now feels roughly like pressing on soft butter, but it makes for some *very* smooth driving. I asked my wife if she was O.K. with it and she said she did not notice the difference from Mode 4. I guess that means it's O.K. ;)
Hi RegGuheert,

We haven't tested Mode 6 with fleets yet—it's still experimental so we thought to roll it out to this group. I'm glad the early impression is positive although I suspect your feedback on this point will not be in the majority. Most people want the vehicle to rock when they press the pedal, so we attempt to preserve that as much as possible from Modes 1 to 4. We ease up our adherence to the acceleration profile in Mode 5, and in Mode 6 we don't even pretend (or claim) that the car drives the same.

In fact, in some cases we think that Mode 6 might be counterproductive—most probably when used in combustion-powered vehicles operated by non-owners. But we have yet to test that particular mode on a commercial fleet...

Please keep sending the reports. Thank you!

Marc
 
PedalLogic said:
RegGuheert said:
After 49,000 miles we decided to purchase new Ecopias rather than trying to get through the winter on the old tread. We did this even though we knew it would reduce the range of the vehicle. Given that, I decided to change the Smart Pedal to Mode 6 to give my wife the best chance of making it home on her commute. Actually, I like it! The pedal now feels roughly like pressing on soft butter, but it makes for some *very* smooth driving. I asked my wife if she was O.K. with it and she said she did not notice the difference from Mode 4. I guess that means it's O.K. ;)
We haven't tested Mode 6 with fleets yet—it's still experimental so we thought to roll it out to this group. I'm glad the early impression is positive although I suspect your feedback on this point will not be in the majority. Most people want the vehicle to rock when they press the pedal, so we attempt to preserve that as much as possible from Modes 1 to 4. We ease up our adherence to the acceleration profile in Mode 5, and in Mode 6 we don't even pretend (or claim) that the car drives the same.
No argument from me on those points. I still like it!
PedalLogic said:
In fact, in some cases we think that Mode 6 might be counterproductive—most probably when used in combustion-powered vehicles operated by non-owners. But we have yet to test that particular mode on a commercial fleet...
I'm sure you are correct here, also. It really gives the driver the impression that the vehicle has no power.

In fact, I currently have four(!) children with learner's permits and a couple of them have found the mushy pedal to be a bit disconcerting. Instead of smoothly accelerating, they sometimes hit the 90% point at which the torque jumps up. Me: "Don't push it down to the 90% point unless you REALLY need to go."
 
This looks interesting and while it looks like I missed out on the discount, I am going to consider buying it.

Can anyone tell me how much this has increased their range? I have a 2013 Leaf and I am currently getting about 4.6 miles per kwh on a new battery that I got last week.
 
RegGuheert said:
PedalLogic said:
RegGuheert said:
In fact, I currently have four(!) children with learner's permits and a couple of them have found the mushy pedal to be a bit disconcerting. Instead of smoothly accelerating, they sometimes hit the 90% point at which the torque jumps up. Me: "Don't push it down to the 90% point unless you REALLY need to go."
Pretty awesome collection you have there. Are there twins or triplets in that group? I imagine that you and their mom know quite a bit about playing a zone defense.

Regarding the 90% threshold, maybe it makes sense to take it out of that mode? Would it help or hurt in your opinion?

Marc
 
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